Hold Me: A Star Wars Missing Moment
by F Maurice
Summary: A missing moment during Return of the Jedi explores Leia's feelings after Luke tells her that Darth Vader is their father. Some romantic moments between Han & Leia. This one-shot contains some fluff.


**Author's Note: In my opinion, Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa didn't get enough screen time to talk to each other in _Return of the Jedi_. This missing moment begins when Luke kisses Leia good-bye and goes off to confront Darth Vader. I know Han comes on the scene almost immediately after Luke leaves, but for this story, I delayed it for about ten minutes. I wanted to explore a little of Leia's feelings after she learns that Darth Vader is her father. Warning: Fluff ahead between Han and Leia.**

**Note: George Lucas owns Star Wars, not me. I'm only using the wonderful characters he created.**

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Hold Me

By F Maurice

"I have to try, Leia."

Luke pressed a gentle kiss on Leia's forehead and walked away. Leia blinked as the dark night seemed to swallow Luke whole. _Ridiculous_, Leia thought, _the darkness hasn't claimed him, Luke just disappeared in it because his suit is black. Luke will come back from this, he has to!_

Leia dropped her gaze and then turned to face the black night of Endor. She could see the fires in the scattered huts of the distant trees. Stray brown hairs tickled her forehead and she brushed them back as she leaned on the railing, trying to control her thoughts. Leia gulped in some air and rubbed the off-white sleeves of her dress in an attempt to control the iciness she felt in her hands and forearms.

_This can't be happening_, Leia trembled as she thought, _Darth Vader, who used to be Anakin Skywalker, is my father?_

Leia had always known that Bail and Clarissa Organa had adopted her. When she was twelve years old, she had asked her father about her birth parents and what happened to them. However, Bail only told her that he and her mother had worked together in the Senate and he knew that her mother loved her very much. When she pressed him about her birth father, he said he didn't know many details and changed the subject, never meeting her eyes. Leia couldn't ask her mother because she had died seven years earlier. Her father's sisters always said they couldn't help her find out anything, and for almost two years, Leia was consumed with curiosity. She sneaked into her father's office, crept around the royal house and looked for any secret places where she thought her birth certificate or adoption papers might be located.

Then the unrest in the Senate erupted and it drove the matter from her mind when it became apparent the galaxy was on the brink of a war. Leia found she couldn't focus on her adoption anymore as she started her political career.

_It's true, _Leia thought with a shudder, _that's why Father was always so careful to keep me away from Emperor Palpatine whenever he visited Alderaan. Darth Vader is his right hand. Why were Luke and I kept apart all this time? Oh, Luke has to come back so I can get some answers._

Leia was startled out of her thoughts as she noticed a movement to her left. She straightened and looked as Han stopped in front of her.

"Hey, what's going on?" Han's smile slipped as he noticed Leia's strained face. He thought saw tears swimming in her eyes.

"Nothing. I just want to be alone for a little while." Leia turned her back on him. Her head lowered as Han frowned.

"Nothing?" Han stepped forward until he was at arm's length from Leia. "Come on, tell me what's going on?"

Leia turned back to face him.

"I...I can't tell you."

Even though Han could tell something was wrong, he suddenly felt irked that Leia couldn't talk to him, but to Luke. Han noticed when Luke slipped out and that Leia had followed him.

"Could you talk to Luke? Is that who you could tell?" Han waved his arm toward the darkness.

"I…" Leia winced at his harsh tone.

"Aw!" Han waved his arm and walked away, then halted. He sighed.

"Sorry." He said to her back.

Leia faced him, stepped up against his chest, circling her arms around him.

"Hold me."

Han hesitated and then his arms went around her, softly patting her back. They stayed still for a moment as the crickets chirped and the Ewok music continued playing. The upbeat tempo changed abruptly to a bittersweet melody. Han broke the silence.

"Why can't you tell me?"

Leia pressed her palms against his chest as she stepped back. She then noticed that a few tears showed on his yellow shirt.

"It's just something I can't discuss now. I feel overwhelmed. You must feel it too."

"Sure…at times." Han's famous lopsided grin appeared. "But you, Princess? You're overwhelmed?"

"Yes," Leia whispered.

"Then just relax." Han whispered back. He pulled Leia back into a hug and held her as Leia sighed, trying to collect her thoughts. She let Han hold her a few more moments before she spoke again.

"Han, Luke's gone." Leia felt Han stiffen. He stepped back from her and looked her in the eyes.

"Why?"

"He feels he's endangering the mission. He's positive Vader's on that command ship we slipped by. He's gone to turn himself in."

"What?" Han grabbed her hand. "Well, let's go, we can probably still catch him."

"Han, no." Leia didn't move but she didn't release his hand. "I don't agree with his decision, but we still need to go on and deactivate the shield generator tomorrow."

Han stared at her for a minute and broke his silence when he brushed a stray, brown hair off her cheekbone. A faint blush appeared on Leia's cheeks before she looked down.

"There's something you're still not telling me."

"Yes, but I can't tell you right now. Don't get mad," Leia stated as she noticed Han's shoulders stiffen. "It's just that…" Her voice trailed off.

"What?" Han's gruff voice prompted Leia to grasp his hand again as she took a step closer.

"I just can't discuss it right now." Leia snuggled her head against his chest. "Han, right now I don't want to think about this war or what will happen tomorrow. I just want some quiet moments, maybe an hour or two…with you."

"I think I can manage that, Your Worship."

Leia looked up, an angry retort on her lips when Han brushed his lips against hers. The unexpected kiss left her breathless until Han pulled back.

Leia smiled and whispered, "Would you please stop calling me that?"

"Sure, Leia," Han whispered, before he kissed her again.

The End

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A/N: This story contains more fluff than I usually write but I was in a dreamy state tonight. Please read and review. Thanks.


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